Offending in Alice significantly worse than five years ago …

… while Darwin’s offending is significantly better in many categories

By KIERAN FINNANE

The picture of offending in Alice Springs over the last five years is not pretty in most categories. Importantly our homicide and related offences are not climbing but in most other categories the increases are very significant. This is revealed in the June Quarter 2012 crime statistics released by the Mills Government yesterday. Darwin, by contrast, experienced significant decreases in most categories.

Sexual assault in Alice – 73 offences – is up 66% on five years ago. By contrast Darwin had 86 offences, 47% fewer than five years ago.

Assaults are up 49%: domestic violence assaults up 36%, others up 69%. (Alcohol involvement is reported on in our lead report this issue.) Darwin’s assaults climbed by 22%, with 1564 offences, actually fewer than Alice’s 1699, as pointed out yesterday by Minister for Central Australia, Robyn Lambley .

Threatening behaviour – 67 offences of varying severity – is up by 81%. Darwin had 113 offences in this category, down by 18%.

House break-ins – 484 offences – while 12% fewer than last year, are up by 130% on five years ago. Attempted break-ins – 60 offences – are down by 20% on last year but up by 200% on five years ago. Darwin had decreases in both categories of 18% and 36%.

Commercial break-ins – 393 offences – are up by 37% on five years ago. There were 61 attempted break-ins, up by 110% on five years ago. Again, Darwin experienced decreases of 38% and 42% respectively, with the number of offences in 2012 (395 and 71) similar to Alice’s.

There were 202 illegal use of a motor vehicle offences, which is 27% down on the previous year but 25% more than five years ago. Darwin also had a hike in these offences, by 22%.

Theft of parts or contents from a motor vehicle – 241 offences – was up by 127% on five years ago. Darwin had 807 offences in this category, up by 76%.

There were 2,126 property damage offences, up by 27% on five years ago. Darwin’s property damage offences were slightly higher in actual numbers – 2739 – but this was down 28% on five years ago.